The ceremony means interior work now starts on the three-storey building which is to house the College’s advice team as well as an incubation hub for student business ideas.

College bosses say the new building also improves the time it takes to move around the campus, as it links up to three existing buildings.

Conlon Construction, based in Preston, are due to finish work in the summer ready for the new term in September.

Principal, Dr Lis Smith, said: “Our students are set to benefit greatly from both the In-Zone and STEM Centre as they will provide state-of-the-art facilities, giving them access to one of the best learning environments available.”

Michael Conlon, chairman at Conlon Construction, added: “We are delighted to be involved with this project and are pleased to have reached such an important stage in the build process which will improve the student experience exponentially.”